Last



Nov. 26, 1929.

G. G. SCHELTER LAST Filed March 5. 1927 I Patented Nov. 26, 1929 UNETE STATES GEORGE G. SCHELTER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FITZ-EMPIRE DOUBLE PATENT OFFICE PIVOT LAST COMPANY, OF AUBURN, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE LAST;-

Application filed March 5, 1927. Serial No. 173,060.

This invention relates to collapsible lasts and is herein illustrated as embodied in a form of hinge last which collapses under pressure, of the type shown generally in United States Letters Patent No. 918,506, issued April 20, 1909, to R. Carl. Lasts of this type have come to be regarded as desirable in many kinds of shoemaking because of their rapid and positive shortening effect which permits easy removal of a last from a shoe or insertion therein.

In the construction of mechanisms of the type mentioned for use in holding a hinge last in expanded condition, a spring has been pro- Vided having a coiled body portion, with the ends of the spring arranged to extend outwardly from the coiled body. This spring is generally mounted in the last in such a mannen that one of its ends bears against the forepart member and the other end against the heel part member to hold the last in an expanded condition, but difliculty has been experienced with such constructions due to deformation and cramping of the coils of the spring.

With this in view, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel mechanism comprising a coiled spring for maintaining a hinge last in expanded position which will preserve the advantages of the coiled spring construction and arrangement referred to but will avoid all danger of cramping, distorting, or otherwise rendering the spring inefficient.

Accordingly, a feature of the invention consists in the provision in a collapsible last of a coiled spring, and a spacer member for insertion into the coiled portion of the spring to prevent the latter from becoming distorted or twisted during collapse of the last. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, this spacer member is shown in the form of a roller adapted to be encircled by the convolutions of the spring.

These and other features of the invention will be better understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for illustrative purposes and 59 shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 isv a. view in front elevation. of the assembled last Fig.2 is aplan view of the hinge mechanism;

. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the dowel of! As illustrated in the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates'the forepart member of a. last which has been sawed. along the face12- to separateit from the heel part member 14:. As shownin-Fig. 5, the cut made by'the saw forms a.- forwardly projecting. semi-circular knuckle 1'6 and a vertical wall 18 on the heel. part. The knuckle 16 is notched vertically at its central portion (Fig. 5) to permit the insertion therein of a' hinge mechanism 20, This mechanism (Fig. 2) comprises a hinge pin 22, mounted in the knuckle 16, a dowel member 24, and a forepart pin 26. The rear portion of the dowel 24 is inserted in the notch in the=knuckle 16in the heel part member witlr theear s- 28 of the dowel extending vertically, andthe pin 22 isinserted through a hole formed in the heel part knuckle 16 and through holes formed in the ears 28, to holdthe dowelr in its proper position within the heel part- The forepart member is fitted against the heel: partinsuch a manner that the forward portion of the dowel 20 extends into a hole 30 formed in the forepart member, and the forepart pin 26 is driven through a hole formed in the forepart member 10 and through" ahole formed in the forwardly extending portion of the dowel 24: to hold the entire last in assembled relation.

Asshown inFig. 1, a filler 32,.in the form ofamolded piece of fiberboard, or other suitable material, may be inserted between the forepart and. heel part members to fill the hub made by the saw cut.

Eoritherpurpose' ofholding the last in expanded condition there is provided, in the disclosed embodiment of this invention, a spring 34, coiled around the pin 22, having its ends 36 and 38 extending upwardly from its body portion to engage respectively the heel part member and the forepart member of the last. In order to insure proper action of such a spring it is necessary that its coiled portion have a substantially greater diameter than that of the ordinary last pin, and in order to prevent displacement and cramping of the coils, a cylindrical roller 40 is mounted on the pin 22 within the coils of the spring filling the space between the ears 2 8 of the dowel 24, and of diameter such as to have a free fit therein. Thus the diameter of the coils is preserved i and all cramping and undue distortion of the spring is prevented.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: p

1. A last comprising a pair of movably connected last parts, a coiled spring for holding the last parts in expanded condition, and means for preserving the shape of the spring coils to prevent cramping of the spring.

2. A last comprising a pair of movably connected last parts, a coiled spring for holding the last parts in expanded condition, and a spacer within the spring to prevent cramping of the spring.

3. A last comprising a plurality of last parts, a hinge'pin, a spring surrounding the hinge pin and arranged to hold the last in an expanded condition, and means mounted on said hinge pin to prevent cramping of the spring.

4. A last comprising a plurality of last parts, a member connecting said parts, a spring surrounding said member and ar-v ranged to hold the last parts in an expanded condition, and means located on said'member inside of said spring to prevent cramping 40 of the spring.

5. A last comprising a plurality of last members, a hinge pin connecting said members, a coiled spring arranged to surround the hinge pin, said spring having its ends ex 5 tending beyond the body portion of the spring and bearing on the two last parts to hold them in an expanded condition,and a spacer located on the hinge pin within the body portion of the coiled spring to prevent cramping or distortion of the latter.

6. A last having a heel part, a forepart, a member pinned in one of said last parts, a pin in the other last part on which the said mem her is hinged, a roller on the pin and a spring 5 5 having its middle portion coiled around the roller and its ends extending outwardly from the coiled portion to abut against the last parts respectively.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE o. sonnn'rniz. 

